NOAA plans to survey recreational anglers and businesses who serve them by telephone and in person at docks to ask about large pelagics intercepts, validation and biology of fish. NOAA will survey people who fish in the Atlantic Ocean about catch of tuna, shark, marlin and billfish.

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service uses the survey to judge catch of these fish. NOAA explains that the “information collected is essential for the United States to meet its reporting obligations to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna.”

NOAA has proposed the following changes in the survey:

Dropping the Large Pelagics Headboat Survey

Increasing the annual Large Pelagics Telephone Survey target sample size from 10,780 to 15,900 interviews for Northeast and Southeast combined

Adding up to five questions to the survey

Following up to non-responders in the Southeast. NOAA already follows up in the Northeast. Participation is supposed to be mandatory.

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Charles Pekow is an award winning journalist, outdoors enthusiast and bicyclist who writes often for print and internet about Mid-Atlantic day trips and bike rides. He keeps on top of recreational-related issues and ideas.